Package would include 500 percent increase in impact fees

Looking to accommodate expected residential and retail growth without creating gridlock on city streets, Issaquah’s administration has come up with a $300 million transportation plan that could accommodate up to an additional 8,000 car trips on local streets per day.

But to help pay for all the needed road improvements, administration officials have proposed a 500 percent hike in the traffic impact fees developers pay.

For a single-family unit, developers currently pay $1,700, said David Hoffman, North King County manager for the Master Builders Association. If the proposed increases were adopted, that figure jumps to $8,600.

The impact fees would not cover the entire cost of the plan, which includes $250 million for roadwork and an additional $50 million for bike paths and pedestrian accommodations, city consultant Randy Young said in an interview.

Young said the city would need to fund the remainder at a cost of approximately $165 million for roadwork and roughly $26 million for bike and pedestrian pathways.

I am writing to call on Congressman Dave Reichert’s liberal opponent Jason Ritchie to stop the smear tactics. Following his campaign thus far, Ritchie has towed the party line and done little to differentiate himself from the partisan politicians in D.C. who are exactly what the American people are tired of.

I was excited to read in The Press that adding 344 units on Gilman Boulevard won’t impact traffic. If someone has a secret way of doing this, could you please share it with we who have to use Issaquah-Hobart Road?

As the new school year begins today in the Issaquah School District, AAA Washington urges drivers to be aware and extra cautious when traveling in school zones, backing out of driveways and navigating through parking lots and neighborhoods.

More than 1.1 million students in Washington state are preparing for back to school, which brings an increase in child pedestrian activity in and around roadways, especially during morning and afternoon hours.

In the Issaquah district, 135 buses travel more than 1.2 million miles and provide rides to and from schools and school-related activities to more than 8,000 students.

Rowley Properties’ construction of the long-stay Homewood Suites by Hilton has brought a massive crane to central Issaquah.

Peter ClarkPress reporter

It’s not the first one locals have seen, but it heralds the start of the Central Issaquah Plan, which city officials expect to change the face of the valley over the next 30 years or so.

The crane stands over the western edge of the city and so will hopefully not have any impact on surrounding traffic. However, it represents a symbol of things to come as parcels go on sale and some, like the Atlas project on Gilman Boulevard Northwest, sit in the middle of the permitting process.

One of the reasons southbound traffic backs up on Front Street during evening rush hour is that drivers on Newport Way ignore the yield sign. (Please note, it reads: yield, not merge).

During the red light cycle on Newport, the cars on Front Street have the right of way. If Newport Way was posted no turn on red, it would allow traffic on each street a fair portion of the allotted time, and a smoother flow of traffic. This “no turn” sign could be limited to the hours of 3-7 p.m., which appears to be the most congested time period.

Company leaders want to construct possibly three more buildings on the campus, with anywhere from three to 10 stories each.

“They are looking to expand their corporate facilities,” city Public Works Engineering Director Sheldon Lynne said. “They currently have surface parking lots that they are wanting to place buildings on.”